Wendy Davis’ father dies

Sen. Wendy Davis, who has been with her father at a Fort Worth hospital after he developed complications from abdominal surgery, reported Thursday on Facebook that he had passed away.

Davis, D-Fort Worth, had pushed back her timeframe for announcing whether she will run for governor while attending to her father, and at times had said that he appeared to be making progress. Last week, she had said she hoped he would be able to join her for the announcement.

But early Thursday morning, she posted this:

“I am heartbroken to report that my father, Jerry Russell, passed away peacefully in the early hours of this morning. He was surrounded by his children and his wife, our stepmom, Suzi. During his time in the hospital, there was never a moment that one of us wasn’t by his side. We, and the community, will forever be grateful for the significant impact he made on our lives. He and his warm, sparkling brown eyes will be deeply missed. My family and I thank you for surrounding us with your prayers and comfort during this time.”

Russell was the noted founder of a Fort Worth theater company. The Fort Worth Star-Telegram has details about his life, including this:

“Russell was a gifted and much-respected director, and also an actor with an ability to disappear into a role ……

It’s easy to see the influence, as a performer and artist, he had on his daughter Wendy Davis.

Russell and Davis’ mother divorced when she was a child, but Russell was always part of her life. Davis’ headline-making 11-hour filibuster in the Texas Senate this year had to be spiritually guided, in part, by her father, who was always known as a fighter who wouldn’t back down from anything he wanted to accomplish.”